Light & Motion Taz 1000 Review

Light & Motion has always been at the forefront of the high-powered commuter light market. The venerable Vega came out more than 10 years ago, and at the time 85 lumens seemed more than impressive for a self-contained, rechargeable headlight. I ran that thing for years, and eventually gave it to a young cyclist who’s still using it to this day. That speaks volumes about the quality of Light & Motion products.

The market has seen tremendous advances in technology, and now the 1000 lumen Taz isn’t even the brightest light on the market. As you might surmise, it’s way more light than most people need, but there are folks out there who want or genuinely need such a light. There are definitely roads in my city that are pitch black at night, but you could still coast at more than 20 mph. Head out into the suburbs and the number of similar situations is multiplied.

And let’s not forget the potential for using the Taz offroad, as I have been doing extensively. I used to own a top of the line 600 lumen mountain bike light that was twice as expensive as the Taz. It had a heavy battery and cables that never ceased to get in the way. Imagine how happy I was the first time I hit the trail with an unencumbered 1000 lumens beaming from my handlebar.

Sheer brightness is only part of the story here, as the Taz has some of the best light distribution I’ve ever experienced. The lens is designed to spread a softer beam directly in front of you, while the road ahead is clearly illuminated for a long, long way.

The controls are simple, but rather sophisticated at the same time. The main button handles on/off duty, and lets you cycle through the modes. The secondary button allows you to “lock” the light while not in use (helpful if you carry it in your back during the day) and also controls the optional side lights (which help provide 180° visibility).

The mode selections include 1000, 500, 200, flash and pulse. The light also has “race mode” which limits you to just two settings, 800 and 350. This is especially handy for off-road riding, where you need to switch between high and low more often, but don’t want to spend time cycling through as many modes. Expect to get about 1:40 burn time on high, and up to 6:00 on low.

Like most lights these days, the lithium ion battery is USB rechargeable. Depending on your device it can be fully recharged in as little as four hours. The mount is tool-free and unlike some of the rubber strap-style mounts I’ve used in the past, this one holds tight, even on the bumpiest of rides. Color me impressed.

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Urban Velo was published May 2007 - December 2014. All 45 issues are available for free download or online viewing. All online content is provided for archival use only. Print copies are long gone, the Urban Velo office is closed. Thanks for reading along.